Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel sank his 207th three-pointer Thursday night against the Pacers, breaking the NBA’s single-season record for a first-year player, ESPN reported. The 19-year-old reached the milestone in just 59 games, eclipsing the previous record set by Keegan Murray, who needed 80 contests to hit 206 threes in 2023.
Knueppel, who now leads the league in total three-pointers, emphasized that chasing the record was never the priority. “It’s really just about making the right basketball play,” he said. “My teammates are setting good screens and putting me in good spots. The coaches as well. I’m just out there looking to make the right play for my team.”
Warriors star Stephen Curry, owner of the single-season all-time record with 402 triples, praised the Hornets guard after their recent matchup. “He can obviously shoot the ball at a high level,” Curry said. “You can’t really leave him open at all—he has such a quick release and shoots with confidence. And his playmaking is very underrated. His game just suits the NBA style, whether it’s fast-paced or a slowed-down possession game.”
Hornets riding momentum
Knueppel’s emergence is part of a broader surge in Charlotte. The Hornets have won 17 of their last 23 games, generating a buzz the franchise has lacked in recent years, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer noted. “It’s a different vibe,” forward Miles Bridges said. “Some people showed up before, but now it’s like everybody’s showing up, showing us love. Shout-out to the fans that’s been down with us before and shout-out to the fans now.”
Heat experiment with twin bigs
The Miami Heat are giving Bam Adebayo and rookie center Kelel Ware extended time together after early returns showed the duo to be one of the club’s least effective pairings, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported. The numbers have improved: Miami outscored Houston by 21 points during the 16 minutes the two shared the floor in a recent victory.
“It felt good,” Ware said of the extended run. Head coach Erik Spoelstra unlocked the combination by deploying a zone defense, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel added. “Both of those guys were really good in our zone,” Spoelstra said. “Kelel … was communicating and protecting that inner circle. Bam was super dynamic at the center position in the zone, and when you play him on the wing, he’s our best wing defender as well.”
Kispert torches former team
In Atlanta, newly acquired wing Corey Kispert poured in a career-high 33 points and collected six rebounds in his first game against the Wizards, the club that drafted him, Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The Hawks never trailed in the contest. “This game meant more to him,” teammate CJ McCollum said. “He spent some real time there, so I’m glad he’s doing that.”
The Southeast Division continues to tighten as individual breakthroughs fuel broader team success.
Source: Hoops Rumors
